[willeyi]

Hello, I am new to this forum, and I have some questions on pearls. I am hoping some of you can provide some advice.

WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR: I am looking for a pair of 10mm pearl stud earrings. I am looking for the top quality.

WHAT RESEARCH I HAVE ALREADY DONE: I looked at Mikimoto. They only had 8mms in the store, and I compared all their qualities. The AAA is beautiful. I asked for pricing on the 10mm, and it is quite expensive. The woman also said their 10mm is Akoya studs, not South Sea. I have also been told that for a 10mm size, I should go with South Sea Pearls. I then searched the web and found two companies, American Pearl and Pearl Paradise that seem to also sell very good quality pearls.

MY PREFERENCE: My preference is to buy a top quality, 10mm pearl stud earrings, Akoya or South Sea. I am also hung up on the Mikimoto name, so I might consider going to a lower grade or, purchasing a 8mm AAA Mikimoto instead of a 10mm. However, I am told that for larger pearls (10mm), I should go with South Sea pearls and Mikimoto only carries Akoya for their stud earrings.

MY QUESTIONS:
1) Given my preference for a 10mm pearl, should I go with Akoya or South Sea?
2) If South sea, are there some companies who sell top quality South Seas? I cannot seem to find any "branded" South Sea pearl names. Any thoughts on American Pearl or Pearl Paradise? What about Tiffany's?
3) What do you think of the Mikimoto brand? Do you consider there is a big difference in the grading quality of Mikimoto rom A+ to AA? I could tell the difference from A to A+, but after that, the pearl only looked more "pinker" to me going from A+ to AAA. But ofcourse, I'm no pearl expert.
4) If I decide to buy Mikimoto, would anything less than AAA look inferior (ie. A, A+, or AA). Said another way, what is the lowest grade of Mikimoto you would recommend?

Thank you very much for any help you can provide.

[jshepherd]

Looks like you have quite a quest!

) 1) Given my preference for a 10mm pearl, should I go with Akoya or South Sea?
2) If South sea, are there some companies who sell top quality South Seas? I cannot seem to find any "branded" South Sea pearl names. Any thoughts on American Pearl or Pearl Paradise? What about Tiffany's?
3) What do you think of the Mikimoto brand? Do you consider there is a big difference in the grading quality of Mikimoto from A+ to AA? I could tell the difference from A to A+, but after that, the pearl only looked more "pinker" to me going from A+ to AAA. But of course, I'm no pearl expert.
4) If I decide to buy Mikimoto, would anything less than AAA look inferior (ie. A, A+, or AA). Said another way, what is the lowest grade of Mikimoto you would recommend?

1. Personally I would recommend a South Sea pearl set. South Sea pearls are more durable and as a whole more valuable than Akoya pearls. A set of 10mm Akoya pearls, however, may be more expensive than a nice set of South Sea pearls simply because of the rarity of the size.
2. There are a few branded names out there - Paspaley and Jewelmer for example. I feel that we (Pearl Paradise) have a better price-for-quality ratio than American Pearl and/or Tiffany's, but they do carry high-quality pearls.
3. You can never go wrong with Mikimoto - if you are buying from a Mikimoto store and not buying from their "Blue Lagoon" or "Sea Magic" lines. They carry a very high-quality product, and yes, there is a substantial difference between A+ and AAA. I would absolutely recommend purchasing the highest quality pearls you can afford in lieu of the largest pearls. i.e. 8mm AAA instead of 9mm A+. One thing to remember when purchasing from Mikimoto, however, you are paying hansomely for the name.
4. 3 answers 4 as well.

[willeyi]

Thank you very much for your good advice. I have one additional question. If I want a pearl that glows and just pops out, (I think the pearl term is luster), are Akoya's better than South Sea, being that South Seas are more creamy?

I want a big pearl, yes, but I want one that "glows". I hope this makes sense. Thank you again for your advice.

[jshepherd]

Akoya pearls are unrivaled for the luster that just "pops" out at you. South Sea pearls have more of a satiny luster - beautiful in their own right. If you are certain that it is an Akoya set of 10mm earrings that you want I would suggest this set from American Pearl.
http://www.americanpearl.com/10aaaqualcul.html

I do not usually recommend American Pearl, however, in large part because of what happened on google adwords and discussed in this AmericanPearl.com Ethics thread.

If you want the bright, mirror-like shine and iridescent depth I would not go lower than AA.

Also, if you would like to compare the two give us a call. We have 10mm South Sea pearl studs available. I have just checked our Site and they are not currently listed (I am unsure why), but I recall selecting a sizable lot last month so I am sure they are available. This way you can compare the 10mm set from AP (Akoya) and a 10mm set of South Sea and decide which you would like to keep.

[willeyi]

Thank you very much again for your insight, especially on which pearls "pop" like a mirror. I think I will go with the Mikimoto Akoya's since they seem to have the look and size I am searching for.

Thank you again for your help, and best wishes.

[willeyi]

Jeremy,
Oh... I just read more threads in this forum and realized you also carry equivalent of Mikimoto AAA quality called "Hanadama". I didn't see it on your website, so I will contact your sales office and inquire.

Thanks again, and the forum speaks highly of your company.

[jshepherd]

You are very welcome.

We do have a few of the Hanadama available, but currently we only have them in strands. The largest earrings we have (cultured Akoya) are 9.5mm.

[purepearls]

Dear Willeyi,
These are all great companies to buy from. I do want to point out that if you are going for the more valuable pearl, you would want to choose the South Sea pearl. They are inherently more valuable and are also more durable, as Mr. Shepherd mentioned. South Sea pearls have a beautiful glow to them, and though their luster does not reflect like Akoya pearls do, they are unbelievably captivating. I know you had mentioned that you were interested in a branded pearl product from Mikimoto or Tiffany pearl, but keep in mind that you can buy several high quality pearl pieces for the price of one pair of South Sea or Akoya earrings from Tiffany's or Mikimoto. What's most important is that the quality is of the highest calibur. I would not recommend buying from the lower grade Mikimoto lines.

[willeyi]

Thanks for your response. Yes, I completely agree with you on buying the highest quality only. However, that is what I seem to be having problems with. Everyone says "buy highest quality, but you don't have to buy from Mikimoto or Tiffany" because you are paying for name only.

Well, I have looked at several "highest quality" pearls that are not brand names, and I find that their "highest quality" is still inferior to Mikimoto AAA.

By the way, I did the same thing with diamonds... I wanted a perfectly cut diamond, and everyone said I didn't have to buy brand name. I went to many places, and ended up with a Tiffany.

I think I am going to have to end up paying Mikimoto prices because I cannot seem to find "highest quality" that is not Mikimoto. I like that "glow" with the AAAs that I cannot seem to find elsewhere.

Your suggestion on South Sea is interesting... I have looked at South Sea, not "highest quality", and I didn't really care for the creamy look. I like that "glow" of Akoyas. But, if I get the highest quality South Sea, would it have that glow? I have contacted a store in Australia called Paspaley and am getting pricing on their top South Seas. I hear they are the best for South Seas, so any insight you have on South Seas would be great.

Amazing... I did not know buying pearls was this difficult. I must say... compared to buying diamonds, buying a diamond is much easier... you have exact specs to go by, and you just read the GIA cert!

Thanks again.

[purepearls]

South Seas do not necessarily always look creamy. It depends on what type of overtone the pearl has. Yes, the South Sea will have a different type of glow. Paspaley is a great place to get South Seas but it will come with a high price tag, too. If you want the best South Sea, typically all you have to do is ask the pearl retailer you are speaking with to see if they have them, and they just may be able to provide it for you at a fraction of the price We source South Seas that would equal in quality of Paspaley. However, after reading your last response, I would say that your quest for the high beam luster will most likely end with an Akoya pearl in hand.